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Art With a Purpose
18
WESTSIDE’S TRIPLE THREAT IS A BROTHERHOOD
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Sports Football’s family of Rezacs has made a huge impact on the 2021 team
Brotherhood. According to Google, it means the relationship between a group of brothers. To three athletes at Westside High School, it means something a little different.
The Rezac brothers, sophomore twins Teddy and Anthony, along with senior Dominic, grew up around football. Never did they think, however, that they would all be playing together on the WHS varsity team.
Now that all three are playing on the Westside varsity football team this fall, Dominic said he doesn’t just have three blood brothers on the team. Instead, he goes onto the field each day and night competing with 60 other brothers (his teammates.)
“I take everyone in and treat everyone like brothers,” Dominic said. “It’s really unique for me just because I have my actual blood brothers on the team that I get to play with. But I also have 60 other brothers I get to go play with every Friday night. We talk about brotherhood a lot as a program and it’s definitely one of the best qualities of the program and it’s awesome being a part of it”
The three Rezac brothers have made significant contributions to Westside’s on-field success this season. Dominic, a running back, has rushed for a team-leading 1,163 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Teddy, a defensive back, intercepted two passes (returning one for a pick-six) during a 28-3 season-opening win over Creighton Prep, and Anthony, a quarterback, ran for 76 yards and passed for 124 more in the first varsity game he ever played in.
“It felt amazing,” Teddy said of his two-interception performance against the Junior Jays. “I didn’t think I’d have that good of a game. I just kinda went in with the mindset to do my job and I did a little more than that.”
Throughout their childhood years, the Rezac brothers have been surrounded by the game of football. From playing the sport in their house, to watching old game-day videos of their father DJ Rezac, the game of football was indoctrinated into each of them.
“It’s hard to say, but it’s probably my dad [who serves as the Rezac brothers’ inspiration to play football],” Anthony said. “He’s pushed me and Teddy to compete and go get it and to really love the sport. Both of my brothers definitely and my mom have been supporters, but No. 1 is probably my dad.” DJ played on the Westside football team as a linebacker in the late 1980’s, earning all-state honors twice (in 1987 and 1988.) As a result of their on-field successes, DJ and Dominic are the only father and son duo to be recognized on the Champion’s Plaza at Westside’s Phelps Stadium for football. “Dominic was an all-state player last year, and I was an all-state player when I played in the 80’s,” DJ said. “That’s a huge, tremendous source of pride for our family, because my dad used to coach [at Westside] in the 70’s. That kinda lineage is cool for us to continue and be a part of.” Additionally, DJ and Dominic are, or were, record holders at WHS. Dominic set the school single-game rushing record when he ran for 308 yards against Papillion-La Vista South on Sept. 17th, while DJ set the school record for the highest batting average at Westside in 1989. He held that record for 25 years (until 2014), when Jake Meyers, a former Husker baseball player and current outfielder for the Houston Astros, broke it.
“When Dom set the record, just to think back about and how many games have been played and that he had the most rushing yards, the feeling that I can think of is grateful,” DJ said. “Grateful for all the great coaches and teammates he’s had and the fact that he has stayed healthy. Grateful that he has the God-given ability to go out and compete. Afterwards, as a family, we were all very grateful for the Westside Community.”
Multiple timec this season, Anthony and Dominic have had special moments on the field where Anthony hands-off or passes the ball to his older brother. Anthony said it’s an exhilarating feeling to have that moment with his older brother under the lights.
“It’s great giving Dom the ball to score and help the team,” Anthony said. “Whether it’s throwing him the ball, or just handing it to him, it’s exhilarating to be on the field with him when it’s happening. It’s just a great feeling.”
Teddy said that his brothers made him tougher and
helped him become the player he is today. “Dom has been toughening me up my whole life, being bigger, so that helped a lot,” Teddy said. “Going up to the field with Anthony and playing catch, running routes also made me a better player.” D omi n i c R ezac Since the three brothers have grown-up playing football, life around the Rezac household has been very hectic during the football season. “Everything just kinda revolves around our games and practices,” said Dominic who will continue his football career at the Air Force Academy next fall. “Carly (Dominic’s twin sister) and Vinnie (the youngest of the Rezac brothers) definitely had to bear more of a burden during the fall, kinda taking the back seat. It’s been better this year, with three of us being on the same team, but it’s definitely not calm.” As the Warriors prepare to defend the Class A state championship they won in 2020, Anthony said the Rezac brothers are confident that this year’s team can add more Teddy Rezac hardware to the trophy case at Westside High School. “One of my goals is to win multiple state championships,” Anthony said. “That should be the goal for everyone on the team. Obviously, another goal is to get a scholarship to go play football somewhere, but my top priority is to win here at Westside.” Brotherhood. It’s something DJ said the Warrior football community thrives on and takes great pride in. “In our football culture, we talk about being brothers with everyone that has played here,” DJ said. “I played here in ‘86 through ‘89, so I am their (the Rezac brothers) father, but I am also their Warrior brother. They are blood brothers, but they are also Warrior brothers. Watching Anthony and Teddy being included and accepted with Dom and his class, makes it really cool. It is like an honor rather than an obligation.” story by Jordan Nogg and Grace Vandercoy, design by Jasmine Palikhya, photos by Zoe Gillespie Ant hony Rezac The Lance
The beginning of a new school year always brings a lot of changes: new students, new teachers, and new things to learn. One big change that came to the Westside volleyball program in 2017 was the hiring of Korrine Bowers as the new head coach.
Bowers was previously the head coach at Gross Catholic, where she led the Cougars to three state championships. Her last coaching position was at Skutt Catholic, where the Skyhawks also won a trio of titles.
After dominating the coaches circuit in Class B for 17 years, she took charge of a Class A volleyball program at Westside with no state titles to its name.
“This position gave me the opportunity to build a program,” Bowers said. “If I’m going to be a head coach and build a program, then I’m going to do it at Westside. Hopefully, when I do decide to walk away, I’ve stamped my name on it. It’s an accomplishment that I’ve always wanted to prove to myself that I’m capable of.”
Bowers’ main goal for the program is to become a state championship-winning team. More than that, however, her goal is to make a real impact in the players’ lives.
“I want to win a state championship,” Bowers said. “I want to give back to these kids who don’t know what it feels like to win. It’s not about me, it’s about these kids. I want them to know how it feels to hold up a state championship trophy. I want them to know how much hard work it takes day in and day out and how that will pay off for them. I want them to achieve the highest level of volleyball that they can, but I’m also in it to teach them how to be a young woman, how to be mature and stand on your own two feet, and how to accomplish your goals.”
Senior Madilyn Siebler joined the Westside volleyball program at the same time Bowers did. And right away, she knew Bowers would bring a lot of positive changes.
“I was super excited because I knew Westside didn’t have a great volleyball program previously,” Siebler said. “My mom also played with Korrine at UNO, so I knew that she knew what she was doing. My mom had a lot of good things to say about her so I was excited to know that someone who could accomplish this was coming in. I was excited knowing that we had a coach who wasn’t afraid to give us that kick.”
Krista Filipi, a longtime assistant coach of the team, said that the changes brought by Bowers were different from previous coaches.
“I was surprised that we had hired someone with such an awesome reputation in volleyball,” Filipi said. “It was exciting to see somebody come in that I knew wanted to make changes that were long overdue. She was the first coach that came in that wanted to work year-round. She wanted to work hard in the summer while still respecting the schedules of the girls who played club [volleyball].”
While Bowers has spent the last four years making changes and growing a volleyball program, she’s also put a lot of time into growing herself as a coach. One thing that Bowers said she’s tried to improve on is her connection to the players.
As a coach that doesn’t work at WHS, it can be difficult for players to get in touch with her. In the beginning of Bowers’ career at Westside, the girls would turn to Filipi, who can be found in the social studies IMC as a special education teacher at WHS, instead.
“She didn’t have the ability and the access to the kids that I did,” Filipi said. “We got kind of an understanding that if the girls want to talk, they need to come [to both of us]. If they said they wanted to talk, I would say ‘okay, then you’re going to wait until practice when Korrine and I will [both] be there and then we’ll talk.”
Using that increased level of communication, Bowers was able to reach-out to the team on a more emotional level and really get an understanding of their lives outside of the volleyball court.
“When I walk into practice every day, it’s not about ‘alright, let’s get this drill done,’” Bowers said. “I try to ask questions like ‘How was your day? Did you do anything this weekend? How’s your mom?’ It’s about reaching out to the kids and saying ‘I hope you had a great day’ or sending them something motivational and really maintaining that relationship all year long instead of just during the season.” Once Bowers began to build that relationship with her team, the program began an uphill climb, gaining momentum towards her goal of being a championship-level team. “We’re really starting to see some changes with our team,” Bowers said. “Positive changes that I don’t think would have happened if not for me being vulnerable. It’s paid off for sure.
BUILDING A CONTENDER
Coach Korrine Bowers’ journey to redefining the Westside volleyball program
We’ve really developed our championship behaviors SPORTS throughout the whole program. We’re establishing UPDATES who we are as Westside volleyball.” 10/12 Growing a program can’t Westside varsity golf happen in a day, a year, or places sixth at state even four years. Bowers has tournament. Senior made many positive changes Kaitlyn Hanna to Westside volleyball, but she knows there’s still more finishes career as state runner-up. room for this program to 10/16 grow. Westside varsity According to Siebler, the Volleyball finishes only way for this program to as runner-up at go is up. Warrior Invite. “I think Korrine has built such a great foundation for 10/19 Westside volleyball to keep Westside varsity growing,” Siebler said. “We volleyball clinches have the talent now and girls #7 seed in districts are going to look up to it and hosts district and they’re going to want to play here. It’s going to be a tournament for the first time since 1994. program that keeps growing 10/21 and keeps bringing in more Westside varsity talented girls. I think a lot of Volleyball places people are going to want to as runner-up at the play for her.” Metro Conference During the last four Tournament for only years, Bowers has laid a the second time in foundation for Westside school history. volleyball to build upon. There’s no doubt in Bowers’ mind that there will eventually be a state championship to prove the growth of her program and Westside varsity girls cross country places fifth at state meet. herself as a coach. “When we win that state championship and we’re holding up that trophy,” Bowers said, “it’s because of what everybody has done [for Westside volleyball].”
